Himalayan Jadi Buti: Medicinal Herb Heritage of Dehradun

Dehradun district is the gateway to the Himalayan jadi buti (medicinal herbs) trade, with the Rajpur Road herb market and forest produce traders historically supplying Ayurvedic manufacturers and street pharmacies across India. The Himalayan foothills around Dehradun support ashwagandha, shilajit collection points, brahmi (Bacopa monnieri) from lowland wetlands, jatamansi (Nardostachys jatamansi) from high-altitude pastures, and guruchi (Tinospora) from forest edges. The Forest Research Institute maintains India's most comprehensive collection of Himalayan medicinal plant specimens in its herbarium. Traditional Garhwali medicine is practised by Baidji (vaidya) families who maintain knowledge of regional plant medicines specific to Garhwal's altitude zones. High-altitude medicinal herbs like kutki (Picrorhiza kurroa) and salam panja (Dactylorhiza hatagirea) are harvested sustainably by Van Panchayat-managed communities under species-specific harvesting rules.